


A Slight Abnormality of the Inner Ear

by Jenny_Starseed



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Gen, Hurt, Illnesses
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-15
Updated: 2012-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-29 13:40:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/320519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jenny_Starseed/pseuds/Jenny_Starseed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one time that Martin’s inner ear problem was unworthy for flight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Slight Abnormality of the Inner Ear

Martin was looking pale and sickly. It wasn’t anything new, Martin had been suffering from a severe cold for the past week. Douglas spared a glance at Martin, he was looking disoriented and fatigued. In fact, the trip had been unusually quiet. Martin refused to play any word games, his jaw set with tension and quiet determination. It was two hours into the flight back home that Martin gave up all pretences of being well.

“Douglas, you have control,” said Martin, quietly and tersely.

Douglas grinned. Ah, the captain has decided to meet defeat. “What was that?”

“You. Have. Control,” Martin gritted out through his tight lips. “Stop being a prat and just take CONTROL!”  
“I gladly obey, sir,” said Douglas, happily taking control.

Still, Martin’s uncharacteristic terse manner alarmed Douglas. He took a look at his captain, who was looking faint and dizzy, his head resting against the seat with his eyes closed. He looked quite unfit to fly.

“Are you alright?” asked Douglas. “You look a little pale and shaken.”

It seemed that Martin didn’t hear him, he made no response. Or Martin was studiously ignoring him when he shouldn’t. Douglas wondered how long Martin knew his inner ear abnormality was affecting his flying before he said anything. He suddenly didn’t like Martin’s secretive manner.

“Martin, if there is any medical I should know about, I need you to tell me,” Douglas said seriously, he voice having no room for compromise. “Is it your inner ear? Martin? This is not an option; you're risking our lives if you do not tell me what is wrong with you. You look like you might puke on your own shoes at any moment.”

Martin lazily opened his eyes, feeling quite wretched. Douglas’s face was set, looking ahead and concentrating on the flying.

“Martin, do I have to inform Carolyn that your inner ear is affecting your flying?” Douglas sternly threatened. “You’ve said before that your inner ear abnormality is perfectly air worthy, but it’s quite obvious it’s not today. If you don’t tell me, I will SATcom Carolyn right this instance and ask for an emergency landing with a medical check-up. And you know how much Carolyn likes emergency landings.”

“Oh alright!” exclaimed Martin. “It is my blasted inner-ear abnormality. That last bit of turbulence and the sudden dip I made to avoid that bird...it just set off my symptoms. They're not frequent...but--”

“Are you feeling dizzy?” interrupted Douglas.

“Just slightly, not anymore.”

“Ringing in the ears? Any loss of hearing?”

“No.”

“Have you've recovered from your ghastly cold?”

“No, not quite,” Martin admitted quietly.

Douglas sighed. “Martin. You do know that a severe cold can trigger an inner ear problem?”

“Ok! Douglas, I've been careless. What are you going to do? Are you going to tell Carolyn? Please Douglas, flying means a lot to me...” Martin pleaded desperately. “I won't jeopardize the flight again by not letting you know if my inner ear begins to act up again.”

Douglas said nothing for a moment. “You promise, Martin? Promise on your stack of flight manuals?”

“Yes, on the stack of my flight manuals,” promised Martin.

“Alright. I don't think you're in any shape to fly. I want you to go out there, tell Arthur you're feeling a bit ill and you've given me control,” instructed Douglas. “You will recline on one of those seats, sleep it off, have some anti-nausea medication that Arthur keeps somewhere in the galley and drink lots of fluids. I will have Arthur notify you when we're about to land. After that, I'm coming with you to your appointment with your GP because I need to know what exactly is wrong with you before I allow you to fly Gertie. Is that understood?”

“Yes,” said Martin weakly.

“Yes what?”

“Yes Douglas, it is understood.”

“Good,” replied Douglas. “Now, get out of here before you throw up on all the controls.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is an expanded version of a dialogue fill for a prompt that asked for Martin’s inner problem affecting him during a flight.


End file.
